Chelsea dey prepare formal move for Benfica defender Tomas Araujo, according to report, but di Portuguese side dey refuse to sell am. Di Blues dey serious to strengthen dia defence for di coming season.
Araujo na Chelsea Target But Benfica No Wan Sell
Di defender get €80m release clause and contract until 2029. Liverpool sef dey show interest to beef up dia central defence.
Chelsea summer spending look like e go continue with Benfica defender Tomas Araujo wey dem identify as key transfer target. Di London club don spend close to £100m dis summer as pipo like Liam Delap and Estevao Willian don join, but e be like dem no get intention to stop as Enzo Maresca dey look to strengthen him squad further.
According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, Benfica dey prepare for “attack” from Chelsea wey dey interested in centre-back Tomas Araujo. Di 23-year-old don dey di club since 2019 wey he join di youth academy and he make him first team debut for December 2021 before he go on loan to Gil Vicente for di 2022-23 season.
Wen he return to him parent club, di 6ft 2’ defender don become important part of Bruno Lage side, he start 28 times for di league dis past season. Di 23-year-old sign new deal for November but e come with release clause wey dem value at £67m. Chelsea dey interested now to take up dat option to strengthen dia backline.
Chelsea get seven CBs currently on di books in Levi Colwill, Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Tosin Adarabioyo, Aaron Anselmino and summer arrival Mamadou Sarr.
Afta dem don strengthen with pipo like Delap for front, Chelsea dey look to improve a defensive unit wey keep 11 clean sheets for di league last season, na only di seventh-best for di division.
Oda Tori For Chelsea
- Chelsea fit cull 14 players with star ‘available’ a year afta move from Euro giant
- Man City leapfrog Chelsea for biggest summer spenders list but quadruple splurge still cheaper than Wirtz
But, di London side no dey concede more dan one goal a game, dem average 1.1 per match wey put dem joint-second with Liverpool. Na only Arsenal concede fewer on average.
Chelsea don get Jorrel Hato, Murillo, Jarrad Branthwaite, Marc Guehi and Tomas Araujo on dia radar as dem dey look for new centre back according to reports.